Kristian Norris with his partner Louise Womack and children Kodie, on the left, and Keaton

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A MUM whose partner was killed by a falling metal bar at work today said “you can’t turn the clock back” as two firms admitted breaching health and safety rules.

Dad-of-two Kristian Norris, of Ingleby Barwick, died aged just 29, after being struck to the head on April 12, 2008, as he worked to reline a vessel at the Corus site at Lackenby.

Now four years on, Tata Steel UK Ltd and the contractor Mr Norris worked for, Vesuvius UK Ltd of Derbyshire, have admitted breaching Health and Safety regulations.

Both pleaded guilty at Teesside Magistrates’ Court to breach of Regulation 10(1) of Work at Height Regulations 2005.

Mr Norris’ partner Louise Womack said she was pleased the firms had admitted the breaches but added that “the damage is done” to her own family.

Ms Womack, 31, who continues to live in Ingleby Barwick where daughter Kodie, now nine, and son Keaton, eight, attend Myton Park Primary, said: “I’m glad they have admitted it but you can’t turn the clock back.

“It may prevent anything happening again in the future but it has cost me my partner and cost my kids their dad.

“It’s heartbreaking to think that it’s always after something has happened that big companies like these say they have made efforts to make sure it will never happen again.

“It doesn’t change anything for me and my family - the damage is done. The companies should have fully safe measures in the first place.

“My kids have been robbed of their father. Our son is getting into football and he will never have his dad watch him play.”

The breached regulations state that “every employer shall, where necessary to prevent injury to any person, take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, the fall of any material or object”.

The charge alleged that on April 12, 2008, at C Vessel, Bos Plant, Teesside Cast Products, the firms “did not take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent, so far as was reasonably practicable, the fall of any material or object during the reline of C vessel within which Kristian Lee Norris and others were working”.

Following the guilty pleas the case has now been committed to crown court for sentencing on a date to be fixed.

A Tata Steel spokesman said: “Kristian’s accident was a great tragedy. While we no longer operate that site we have taken all steps to ensure that a similar incident can never happen again.”

Vesuvius UK MD Richard Sykes said: “Kristian was a highly valued employee of Vesuvius. His tragic death in April 2008 had a profound impact on the company and our employees.

"Our thoughts remain with his family and friends who we have endeavoured to support the family to the best of our ability in the aftermath of the incident.

“We recognise that an unfortunate set of circumstances, when combined together, led to the tragic death of Kristian. For this reason, Vesuvuvius has pleaded guilty to a failure under Regulation 10 (1).

“Vesuvius continues to place health and safety at the forefront of all its activities and will maintain its efforts in achieving its goal of zero harm throughout the organisation.”

The court proceedings come more than two years after an April 2010 inquest into Kristian’s death returned a verdict of accidental death at the end of a four-day hearing.